Lochart had initially thought he would hear back from his sister first, but the first to respond was Ragnok, the goblin from Gringotts Bank. The morning after his mother's birthday, he received a reply from the goblin, just as he was preparing to fulfill his duty as a Hogwarts teacher, to persuade the parents of Muggle-born students.
Considering the time it would take for an owl to deliver a letter back and forth, Lochart guessed that the goblins must have made their decision almost immediately after receiving Rosmerta's introduction, taking only a few minutes.
That's right, at this time, Ragnok probably hadn't been tricked by Ludo Bagman with leprechaun gold yet, especially not during major events like the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, so he should still have at least some trust in wizards.
"Dear Mr. Lochart,
I am very interested in your proposal and look forward to your visit. Please suggest a time for an appointment so we can prepare.
Sincerely, Gringotts Bank"
Lochart thought for a moment and scheduled the meeting for three days later, believing that this time would be sufficient for the owl to fly back and for Gringotts to make preparations.
He swiftly wrote his reply, not keeping Gringotts' owl waiting too long, and when he tucked the scroll into the leather pouch on its leg, he also gave it an extra fried fish.
The owl immediately snatched Lochart's "postage," seemingly pleased with the treat. After tilting its head back and swallowing the fried fish, it flapped its wings and flew away.
His sister's call still hadn't come, so Lochart set a reminder charm by the phone, then grabbed his car keys and left the house.
There weren't many people on the list Dumbledore had given him, only twelve.
Hogwarts' annual enrollment was less than a hundred, and Harry Potter's year only had about 40 students in total. This could be seen from the staff's preparation for classes—Madam Hooch prepared 20 brooms for Gryffindor and Slytherin students for flying lessons, and Professor Sprout prepared 20 earmuffs for Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students.
This year was slightly better than last, reaching over 70 students, possibly due to the baby boom in the wizarding world after Voldemort's first defeat. Most of these young wizards came from pure-blood or half-blood families.
Moreover, not every Muggle family who received an owl letter was completely clueless. Ministry of Magic officials had sent people to warn them and provide some explanation when their children displayed magical talent, so parents wouldn't mistake the Hogwarts letter for a prank.
This meant that parents who still refused to send their children to Hogwarts by now probably had other reasons.
Normally, Ministry of Magic officials would be happy to add some "insurance measures" for these children, so they wouldn't experience magical outbursts again and could live normal lives like Muggles.
Pure-blood wizards were very keen to see this; they certainly didn't want these dirty "mudbloods" entering the school and defiling glorious Hogwarts.
But Dumbledore, considering Hogwarts' peak history of 1000 students, felt that the current size of merely 300 students was too shabby. He wanted to attract as many Muggle-born wizards as possible and, incidentally, balance the power of the pure-blood families.
Although he was experienced and capable of persuading a group of parents, he didn't want to waste too much time on such matters.
Since Voldemort's return was inevitable, and Dumbledore had already encountered Voldemort's lingering soul again last year (the Philosopher's Stone incident), accelerating his plans and creating the perfect savior in his mind was the top priority. He didn't have the time to get entangled with a group of parents.
Dumbledore noticed that students like Justin Finch-Fletchley, who were originally destined for Eton College, the British "elite," had their mothers, Mrs. Finch-Fletchley, change their minds after reading Lockhart's books and send their children to Hogwarts. This showed that Lockhart's charm was indeed universally appealing across all age groups.
So this task fell to Lockhart.
"Even a viper has its uses," Dumbledore privately told Professor McGonagall. "Even if he is just a charlatan, students will be educated in the process of his true colors being revealed. It will teach them what kind of people to be, and what kind of people not to be."
Lockhart himself, of course, was unaware of these details, but this did not prevent him from taking the matter very seriously.
After all, politicians cultivate successors and develop factions from their school days. Since Lockhart was determined to become Minister for Magic, it was best to exert his influence on young wizards and cultivate confidants as early as possible while their minds were still unstable.
This way, even if he no longer taught at Hogwarts a year later, the club passed down by his confidants would become a continuous source of new blood for his political base.
He drove his car all the way to South Kensington in Chelsea, London, and parked outside a rather elegant residential courtyard.
Although the house didn't look large, considering it was in the most expensive area of British real estate, anyone qualified to live there should not be underestimated.
When Lockhart saw the address, he roughly guessed—these people could still thrive even without coming to Hogwarts, so why send their children to a place completely beyond their control and with an uncertain future?
As he rang the doorbell, a young woman in a formal skirt suit slowly opened the door for him.
"Hello, is this Mason Manor?" Lockhart asked politely.
Hearing this, the young woman scrutinized Lockhart from head to toe.
Lockhart had dressed meticulously for today's meeting. In addition to a crisply ironed white shirt and handmade trousers with sharp creases, he wore a sky-blue wizard's robe outside, which was a lengthened and improved version of a tailcoat.
About 85% Muggle clothing elements combined with 15% wizarding attire characteristics ensured that Muggles wouldn't find it too strange, while also adding a unique charm. Coupled with the sky-blue's particular affinity for women, Lockhart had clearly put thought into it.
People are always visual creatures; neat attire and a handsome appearance can quickly leave a good first impression, and colors and styles can also convey certain psychological cues. Therefore, clothing coordination is a compulsory lesson for qualified civil servants and politicians.
The woman seemed to lower her guard slightly:
"Yes, may I ask who you are...?"
Lockhart put on his usual business smile: "I am Gilderoy Lockhart, Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I had an appointment previously... Miss, is Mrs. Mason at home?"
The young woman's eyes paused, and she subconsciously smoothed her hair: "I am."
Lockhart immediately put on a look of chagrin: "My apologies, please forgive my mistake, Mrs. Mason."
"It's alright," Mrs. Mason repeatedly assured him that she didn't mind. "So you are Professor Lockhart. I thought... in fact, I've met officials from your 'Ministry of Magic' before, and I thought all wizards were like that... unkempt."
"I apologize for the trouble they caused you, madam," Lockhart said. "The nature of civil servants is to be arrogant and rude to anyone who cannot grant them power, and this is true for both the wizarding and non-magical worlds."
"That's true," Mrs. Mason said with understanding; it was clear she and her husband had dealt with such people often.
"Excuse me, where should I park my car so it doesn't obstruct you or your neighbors?" Lockhart asked again.
Mrs. Mason then realized it might be a bit impolite to leave the visitor standing at the door.
To cover her slight embarrassment, she stepped outside and pointed to a path left between her house and her neighbor's.
"Your car can go through that small path and park next to the garage in my backyard. I'll get you some refreshments. What would you like? Tea? Coffee? Or a glass of brandy?"
Lockhart showed no intention of retreating: "Tea will be fine, thank you."
Under Mrs. Mason's puzzled gaze, Lockhart raised his right index finger and snapped it at his car.
The car immediately began to vibrate again, then obediently rolled along the path Mrs. Mason had indicated, disappearing behind the house.
But Mrs. Mason clearly saw—there was no one in the car!
Seeing her dumbfounded expression, Lockhart quipped, "It's already a qualified car; it needs to learn how to drive itself."
Mrs. Mason swallowed, then stepped aside: "Please come in."